Generally, a tubular label such as a shrink label, which is to be attached to a container or the like, is attached to the container or the like by a labeling apparatus sequentially cutting an elongated strip-like label forming base material that has been folded in a sheet with multiple labels connected together. Usually, such an elongated sheet-like label forming base material is used by: setting, on a feeding apparatus of the labeling apparatus, what has been obtained by winding the elongated sheet-like label forming base material into a roll around a paper tube (hereinafter referred to as a “sheet roll”); and continuously feeding the sheet roll.
Incidentally, the length of a label forming base material that can be wound into a roll has a natural limit. This requires the frequent replacement of the sheet roll set on the labeling apparatus. Consequently, it is not possible to allow the labeling apparatus to operate efficiently.
Thus, conventionally, sheet rolls are mounted on reels, and the reels are stacked one on another in a multi-tiered manner. Then, the sheet roll mounted on the reel in the upper tier is connected to the sheet roll mounted on the reel in the lower tier, thereby continuously feeding label forming base materials from the plurality of respective reels. This reduces the number of times the sheet rolls are replaced, thereby allowing a labeling apparatus to operate efficiently.
Usually, as shown in (a) and (b) of FIG. 17, such a reel includes: a cylindrical core member 51, to which a sheet roll is to be fit; and a flange member 52, which can be detachably attached to one end of the core member 51. Thus, as described above, to stack reels 50 one on another in a multi-tiered manner and continuously feed label forming base materials, a paper tube is removed from each sheet roll and an inner end portion (a winding start portion) of the sheet roll is pulled, out from the sheet roll. Thereafter, the sheet roll without the paper tube, or the sheet roll to which the removed paper tube has been attached again, is set on the core member 51 of the reel 50. Then, as shown in FIG. 18, while a plurality of reels 50 on which the sheet rolls have thus been set are stacked in a multi-tiered manner, an outer end portion (a winding end portion) or a pulled out inner end portion (a winding start portion) of a sheet roll R set on the reel 50 in the upper tier is connected to a pulled out inner end portion (a winding start portion) or an outer end portion (a winding end portion) of a sheet roll R set on the reel 50 in the lower tier adjacent to the upper tier. Thus, the sheet rolls R set on the plurality of reels 50 are connected to each other.
Such a reel 50 has the following advantage. Usually, the outer diameter of the core member 51 is set to be smaller than the inner diameter of the paper tube of the sheet roll R. Thus, it is possible to rotate the sheet roll R set on the core member 51 of the reel 50, relative to the reel 50, and when the sheet roll R is connected to the label forming base material of the sheet roll R set on the reel 50 in the lower tier, it is possible to adjust the connection position while rotating the sheet roll R relative to the reel 50. This achieves an excellent operability for connecting the label forming base materials.
As described above, however, in the case where, while the reels 50 on which the sheet rolls R are set are stacked one on another in a multi-tiered manner with some allowance between each core member 51 and the paper tube, the label forming base materials of the adjacent sheet rolls R are connected to each other and the label forming base materials are sequentially fed from the sheet roll R set on the reel 50 in the upper tier, the reels 50 stacked one on another in a multi-tiered manner rotate in an integrated manner. The label forming base material, however, of the sheet roll R from which the label forming base material is being fed is pulled by a downstream apparatus such as a labeler. Thus, the sheet roll R rotates relative to the reel 50. This causes a shift in the connection position of the label forming base materials relative to the sheet roll R set on the reel 50 in the lower tier adjacent to the upper tier. In the connection portion, the label forming base materials are pulled and twisted.
In response, hitherto, as shown in FIG. 19, non-slip members 53 formed of a material such as a rubber are bonded to the surface, of a flange member 52, that is in contact with the sheet roll R, thereby increasing the frictional force of the sheet roll R against the reel 50. This prevents unnecessary rotation of the sheet roll R relative to the reel 50.